Music is an important part of people’s lives. It has also been reported to have therapeutic capacities. In the field of medicine, a number of medical professionals also believe in the effectiveness of music in alleviating people’s pain. Thus, music is normally used in therapies, especially with patients suffering from various neurological disorders, such as autism or dementia. Positive effects have been associated with the use of music during therapies.

In relation to therapies, music therapists perform a dual role: that of a musician and a therapist. Their tendency to perform either role varies depending on the condition of patients during therapy.

According to Chrissy Pearson, clinical manager of the Music Therapy Centre in Toronto, there is no typical day for music therapists. Their work for the day entirely depends on the patient and the type of setting where the therapy takes place.

Music therapists may work as contractors or be employed full-time by hospices, substance abuse and addiction centers, nursing homes, community support programs, hospitals, correctional facilities, and special education facilities.

Music therapists may deal with late-stage cancer patients, teach students with autism to identify music patterns, or aid dementia patients with fading memories especially those who tend to forget information about themselves but remember specific songs from their childhood.

Music is effective in stimulating specific brain areas that are not accessible through speech and physical movements. Music therapy serves as means by which people with autism understand social and emotional cues. Music therapy also provides support in breathing regulation of palliative care patients. Meanwhile, there are patients who lost their speaking capacities but managed to communicate with other people through songs.

Basically, music therapists aim to help their patients achieve non-musical goals using music. Medical experts greatly believe in effectiveness of music in aiding people suffering from brain injuries or neurological disorders.

The Canadian Association for Music Therapy is an organization known for providing the necessary standards in music therapy. People who want to take up music therapy should check out Capilano University in North Vancouver, the Canadian Mennonite University in Winnipeg, and Acadia University in Nova Scotia. Meanwhile, Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo offers undergraduate and master’s degree in music therapy.

Other programs related to music therapy include music education and psychology courses, social work training, counselling, and internships.

In addition, after finishing their degrees, music therapists are expected to pursuing education as per requirement for renewal of membership in CAMT. Some of continuing education programs for music therapists include classes, workshops, conferences, and working in related industries.

Salary of music therapists depend on their type of employment (contractual or full-time) and level of experience.

Full-time music therapists may earn up to $35,000 to $75,000 per year depending on a number of factors, including geographic locations, years of experience and qualifications. However, for those who are working for private clients, salary ranges from $25,000 to $85,000.

In Canada, the demand for music therapy is great but financial support patients is lacking. For instance, the family of child with physical disability is already burdened with expenses for various equipment and other types of therapies. Thus, having patients undergo music therapy is not always the first option. Clearly, there is a need for available resources given the increasing demands for music therapy.

Meanwhile, music therapists also face challenges in continuing their professional education and undergoing additional skills training. Moreover, music therapists are also burdened with emotional stress that come with their work.

It is a fact that music therapy can be difficult but music therapists may find it very rewarding. In addition, they become motivated when they see the progress in their patients no matter how small it is.

On the other hand, people still have some misconceptions regarding music therapy. For instance, not all people realize that playing music as entertainment is entirely different from using it in educational or hospital settings.

There are also a lot of options for music therapy online we took part in an online live music stream broadcast workshop. Think about checking some of them out.

Music has been part of human life since ancient times. It has become an important cultural and political factor witnessed through real-world events and served as motivator for people to accept positive changes and unite during the times when unity amongst people was greatly needed. As such, some songs had huge impact that they have been constant part of people’s lives through times. These songs are ranked based on their influence regarding revolutionary movements, condemned justice, and raising hope for the next generation.

A CHANGE IS GONNA COME (1965) – SAM COOKE

A Change is Gonna Come was a protest song written by Cooke in support of civil rights movement in the US. The song was inspired by Bob Dylan’s Blowin’ in the Wind. Some of the lines in the song describe Cooke and his friends’ experience during their arrest in Louisiana. The song also discusses segregation. However, before the song was released, Cooked was shot by a motel owner on the cause of allegedly raping a young girl. To this day, controversy still lingers around Cooke’s death.

I WANNA HOLD YOUR HAND (1963) – THE BEATLES

I Wanna Hold Your Hand was considered revolutionary song of the 1960s. The Beatles became the biggest rock’n’roll band during that time, and until now, no one can argue regarding the popularity of Beatlemania. The song was a hit in the US during the time when the country was still suffering from the assassination of John F. Kennedy. In 1964, the band performed on the Ed Sullivan show, which was watched by 70 million viewers.

DO THEY KNOW IT’S CHRISTMAS (1984) -BAND AID

The popular Christmas single was spearheaded by Bob Geldof, the lead singer of Boomtown Rats. The song was part of program aimed at raising funds for Ethiopian famine. Some of artists who sang the track included David Bowie, Paul McCartney, and Bono. Thought the song sounds festive, careful analysis of the lyrics indicates its bleak message.

WAR (1970) – EDWIN STARR

War was written by Norman Whitefield and Barrett Song, and it served as protest to Vietnam War. “War” was considered the first political Motown song.

STRANGE FRUIT (1939) – BILLIE HOLLIDAY

“Strange Fruit” was another protest song. It was sung by Billie Holliday and symbolized brutality and racism, which were previously prevalent in the American South. Billie Holliday made history for being the first person to sing a song with such controversial lyrics. The song was Time magazine’s song of the century in 1999. Currently, the song still bears significance, for example, Kanye West, used a sample of it in his album, Yeezus.

IMAGINE (1971) – JOHN LENNON

Imagine is a song that has always been associated with John Lennon and usually considered as best-known solo work of the artist. The track represented Lennon’s desire to achieve peace and harmony. The song became more sensationalized after Lennon’s assassination, but some people managed to criticize the song.

SAME LOVE (2012) – MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS, AND MARY LAMBERT

Same Love professes support for gay rights. The song was especially important for Mary Lambert, who has religious background and grew up feeling sinful because she is gay. Macklemore said that he had wanted to write the song for a very long time but he had no idea how he would tackle gender issues. He also added that the song was not about marriage equality but also the negative connotation of the word “gay.”

SUNDAY BLOODY SUNDAY (1983) U2

Sunday Bloody Sunday is reflection of the horrifying events of Bloody Sunday incident, which happened in Derry in January 1972. In the said incident, 13 Irish citizens were killed by British paratroopers during a civil rights protest. Though the song condemns the incident in Ireland, it was also story of interpersonal struggles of Bono. Bono was known for waving a white flag while performing the song.

GOD SAVE THE QUEEN (1977) – SEX PISTOLS

God Save the Queen is a rebel song against British politics. The song was written during the period when most young people thought that they were estranged from the royal monarchy. The song was released during The Queen’s Silver Jubilee. The Sex Pistols tried to perform the song but authorities came and intervened. God Save the Queen then became a popular song representing the punk movement in England. It symbolized the anger felt by young generation at that period.

FIGHT THE POWER (1989) – PUBLIC ENEMY

Fight the Power is song meant to support the black community, and the additional controversy only made the song more popular. Aside from African Americans, people of other race could relate to the song as well.

You have by now heard of people that relieve their stress conditions by listening to music. The method is quite efficient and really does work. When you listen to soothing melodies the body goes through several physiological processes that end in the production of chemicals in the body that relieve stressful conditions.

Induce meditative state

Meditation is all about achieving a condition where your mind is slow and in a state of peace and tranquility. Listening to slow songs has proven to get your mind in this kind of state. This is due to the fact that the music slows down the speed of brain waves as such you can enter a meditative state quite easily.

Relieve depression

Sometimes you might fall into situations where you find yourself feeling very depressed and down. In such conditions, you will definitely find it soothing to listen to slow uplifting songs. This is due to the fact that the music slowly soothes your mind into a state of relaxation. However, you might not want to listen to hard metal or even techno as in some cases these have been known to increase the depression.

Improve cognitive performance

Studies on behavior have shown that over time people exposed to good songs in the background have been able to perform better in whatever it is that they are involved in. In some research it was seen that test takers exposed to songs were actually able to improve their scores by being able to answer more questions and get more correctly. However, this was only possible if the song was emotionally elevating to the person.

Improve performance in high pressure situations

This is definitely an eye opener for people who are involved in high pressure situations. For instance, in case you are involved in serious sports pressure such as professional basketball, you definitely will perform better if you listen to uplifting songs. Several players have admitted that this has totally improved their performance in the actual games.

Reduce anxiety

We often find ourselves in situations that have us feeling very anxious. In such situations it is best advised to listen to soothing tunes that will help reduce the tension. The songs in this case works just like a massage for the mind and body as a whole. Therefore, the next time you do find yourself in such a situation you should definitely try this out.

Ease surgery

Before patients get on the table, they are usually in a state of great anxiety and even fear. Doctors have shown that exposing pre-surgery patient to slow, soothing songs relaxes them and helps them smoothly get into the surgery. This is also applicable for those just out of surgery as well.

There have been several researches all across the world into how we can reduce our brains sensory to pain. The researches have proven again and again that the use of music on people experiencing pain has greatly reduced the intensity of pain felt. Several fields of medicine such as geriatric care, intensive care and palliative medicine have shown these great results.

Motivator for bikers

Several studies in some of the male college students have shown that songs have a tendency of making it easier for them to bike faster and longer. This is especially if they listen to fast songs while biking. Therefore, in case you intend on riding half way across your country, then you definitely need some collection for the road.

Improve performance and endurance

In several interviews during their workout sessions, professional runners have admitted to this benefit. Most have confessed that with earphones in their ears, they hardly feel their tired muscles and keep on running for long distances.

Other parties that totally support his idea are people that love to work out and body build. The trick is to put on the tracks they listen to distract them from the hard work. Eventually they realize how long an extra mile they have gone on a workout session. As such, most gyms are equipped with the best entertainment systems to help out their members in their sessions.

Boot post workout recovery

After an intensive workout you will definitely need a breather to get yourself in working condition from all the exhaustion. It has been seen that listening to slow tracks will definitely give you the soothing feeling you need to relax and regain the strength to get back up.

Improve sleep quality

Help eat less

Most people have probably chosen to self-medicate themselves when it comes to sleeping issues. When this is not always encouraged, there’s a safer and much better solution to the problem. Studies show that classical tracks help a lot in treating the condition. Not only are the songs soothing, but the sleep from such stimulation is amazingly awesome.

This might come as a surprise, but trust me, it’s very true. Research shows that listening to slow tracks during your eating session can make you consume less in the process. The idea behind this is that the music eventually distracts your mind to the soothing sensation that you get from listening and in the long run feel a bit fuller than you would have if you had concentrated on eating only.

Improve blood flow in the vessels

Research can totally back this up. In several findings, it has been seen that the happy feeling you get when listening music improves the blood flow process in the body.

Music has been a part of society for ages. Over time songs have found application in almost all aspects in the society. No one can really deny the amazing need for songs in the society and its ability to invoke emotion from all. In most cases it has been termed as the world’s universal language, evident by how it is possible to unite people from all walks of life into a similar opinion.

Music as a mirror

Most of the times the song types and message is usually influenced by the society in which it is composed. Whatever the genre the song might take, the message is usually derived from the surrounding of the composer. As such, in most cases music acts as a reflection of what goes around in society. Therefore, you can easily learn a lot about a people by listening to their songs. On a global scale, the songs have taken the same kind of trend as well. Most international artists tend to sing about the current conditions in the world.

Emotional outlet

It’s a common expression to hear someone tell you to sing your heart out. Songs have been a way of expressing emotion for centuries. It’s more of an outlet that lets you express what words cannot really put into context your feelings.

Scientific research has shown that human beings are rooted in songs. This is evident by the fact that songs show to evoke emotions in all kinds of people. Even in our younger years, it has been seen that children tend to respond to songs and beats. In a way, songs are a way in which children can connect unfamiliar emotions and even in later cases songs are used as learning tool for children.

There is also segments of music that exist to get an emotional response. Such as Punk Rock. The entire movement was youths thumbing their nose at the older generation.

Influence inner dialogue

The inner dialogue is a part of us that exist unconsciously. This part of ourselves is responsible for all the planning of activities and even the worries we have about everything that is involved in our life. This part of ourselves is usually uncontrollable. However, song composers and specialists have shown that listening to songs does influence this part of us and can even influence it to a specific way of life. In cases where some have been able to stop the inner dialogue, individuals have described the feeling as having a greater awareness of themselves and the world around them.

Spiritual connector

For ages we have been aware of the fact that songs are capable of evoking a certain state of spiritual awareness. Believers from all religion can agree with the fact that the right kind of songs can induce a certain altered state of consciousness in which the parties can connect with a spiritual being or reality.

Over the years the world of music has evolved over and over again to the modern numerous genres. The genres have also acquired quite a fan base with the coming up of numerous music festivals all across the world. This has been capable with the liberal way in which people across the world have taken into songs to ages as young as two years. With quite a following in the world, it’s a bit necessary by now to get an intensive look into the effects that music has especially in the young generation of today.

Unhealthy precedence

Several researches have shown that songs have become much of a priority to teen and younger adults than any other thing. A research carried out by universities such as Iowa and Texas Human Services showed that songs had an obsessive grasp to its listeners. For instance, one of the questions asked was what some of the parties would definitely carry to the desert. Most of the answers were like iPods, radios, televisions and other songs outlets. This is convincing enough that songs has taken an unhealthy precedence in people’s lives these days.

Negative content

Another factor to look into is the amount of negative content in songs these days. It’s surprising that in this modern time, violent and abusive songs is most likely to have more sales than good family songs. This has been proven by the fact that the research found that people that got exposed to such kind of songs tended to listen to more and more and even advance to harder music.

In another study, it showed that teenagers that got more exposed to negative songs ended up having thoughts that were negative. In the research a bunch of students were exposed negative songs with a half of them separately exposed to positive songs. In the end the two groups, were involved in a questionnaire that involved the answering to words that had been not completed. The group that was exposed to negative songs showed to have been more inclined to negative solution to the questionnaire than the other group.

Liberalization of violent behavior

The research also included research into the songs as well. Several instances showed the deceptive lie behind most of the violent songs available on the internet today. This was evident by the fact that the songs involves the encouraging belief that violent reaction to society is the best way to express ones inner emotions. With most teenagers going through a rebellious time in their lives, this sort of songs is like a haven for them.

The trend has been proven by the fact that most teenagers in developed liberal countries are mostly found in gothic communities or even cults. With such findings, it’s important to ensure that we monitor the type of songs we listen to and expose the young in society to.

There have been quite a few debates about the benefit of songs in early childhood development. Recent findings have shown that the idea is quite true with several children researches indicating that music has a very good influence on child growth. This has been met with the inclusion of songs in most of the early childhood education models. This move has been substantiated with the relevant positive effects that have been associated with the method.

Form of intelligence

Renowned psychologists such as Howard Gardner of Harvard argued that music is a way of knowing. In some of his talks, he described it as a form of intelligence that was as important as other forms of intelligence such as mathematical, linguistic and spatial intelligence.

Life skill

Peery and Peery describe the idea of making and being aware of songs as a basic skill of life such as walking and talking. In their opinion, the inclusion of music in early childhood is a basic way of teaching children a skill that is as important to them as talking.

Audiation

During the development of children in the early ages to about six years. This period is usually known as the ‘music bubble’ stage. In this stage, children don’t really express songs the same way as adults do. At this stage of their lives they are usually rapidly growing and perceive songs differently. With constant exposure to songs and rhythms, children tend to create a certain way of perceiving things in a way they can understand. This process is known as audiation. In this stage, children form a compartment in which they can explain the images they see in song videos and other audio tunes.

Musical aptitude

As seen in several researches into childhood development, children are very apt when it comes to grasping information about anything around them. As also seen, children tend to grasp a lot from play. As such, it has been seen wise to expose children to instruments so that they can joyfully learn to interact with and eventually learn to play with a lot of ease. Eventually with time children have shown to have the ability to play composed tunes with much more accuracy than adults.

Performance and understanding

The ability to understand tunes is quite different from the ability to perform the tune. As seen earlier, the ability to understand is dependent on audiation, which refers to acquisition and processing of sounds. On the other hand, performance of the tunes is totally dependent on interaction with the relevant instruments. As such, it raises concern on the importance of introducing these instruments to children in their early stages of development so that they can have their full potential tapped.

Are you a budding musician? Learning instruments is one part of being a great musician. You also need to be competent in the various forms of music. Having complete knowledge of your music styles will help you have a complete understanding of music. It gives you a broader understanding of the subject. A good musician will listen to all forms of music and criticize it. This criticism can be both positive and negative. Having a lot of forms of music etched in your memory also makes it easier for you to jam and improvise. Here is a comprehensive list of all forms of music:

Blues

Delta Blues

Jumpy Blues

East Coast Blues

Chicago Blues

Classical music

Opera

Gregorian chant

Madrigals

Chamber music

Choral

Symphony

Country music

The music that was developed in the Southern United States is called country music. This music was created in the 1920’s and is usually associated with cowboys. This form of music used electric guitars, harmonicas, fiddles, banjos and acoustic guitars to create their songs.

Electronic music

The term electronic music was introduced in 1942 when a musician named Pierre Schaeffer set up an electronic music studio with the help of recorded normal sounds, speed tape recorders, microphones or phonographs. As the name suggests, electronic music is not associated with sound created by acoustic instruments but they are created by electronic beats.

Jazz

Jazz music had its origins in European as well as African music. The African American people dominated this form of music and played and were prominent in the Southern parts of the United States. The African undertones are prominent in this form of music.

Latin music

This music has its roots in Latin America. The music is defined by the cultural, background, geography and history mentioned in the music.

Pop Music

The word pop music is confused with the word popular music. This is not so. The music that evolved from the rock and roll revolution that was evident in the middle 1950’s and continues on even today is called as pop music.

Metal

This music is distinguished by the powerful bass drums and electric guitars. The genre originated in the early 1960’s and 1970’s widely in the United Kingdom as well as in the United States. This is an aggressive form of music. The lyrics used are provocative, controversial or they can be satirical too.

Rap music

This music has a history in African-American people singing it. This music is generally not sung but spoken in a smooth and fast way to create a music of its own.

Music can touch your inner self. This is one of the most powerful forms of art that has the potential to change the world. Over ages people have used this as a medium to touch the lives of others. Musicians have come from various walks of life with diverse cultural backgrounds to have an impact on the world. Music has been used as a platform to convey messages. Satirical songs have been used to condemn people as well as governments. Here are some ways musicians could change the perceptions of people as well as have an impact on the world.

Delivering a message

Musicians have taken the stage to deliver messages to the crowd. They have made use of their songs to tell people how they feel about the world and what needs to be changed about the perspective. Bands have used the power of music to change the life of people. Various NGO’s in Africa have used music as a medium to bring about changes in the lives of the people living there. Music is not only about cars and women but music can also make a profound statement. Music in many parts of the country was used to describe corruption, the government and social changes that need to occur

Music for social change

Music can also be used as a medium to bring about social change. A clear example of this is the result of music in South Africa. Many immigrants in South Africa face harassment and discrimination. Many groups in South Africa have resorted to music to bring about a change in social status of people as well as to spread awareness. Similar to this there have been various messages sent to public through the medium of music. It is the responsibility of musicians to create such music that can affect the lives of people in a positive way and help them change.

As a platform

Music is a platform for people to showcase their talents. Musicians need to take the initiative to address huge crowds that gather for concerts and advise them on the social changes that need to be done. These artists can also send a strong message to their fans. With such a huge crowd following they can have a huge impact on people.

Music for unity

People sing and dance in sync with the music played. This gives a sense of unity in people. This unity can be further used to make this world a better place to live in.

These are some of the best ways music has impacted the world. We need to give credit to the musicians behind this initiative and applaud them for their work.

Being a musician does not only entail that you play your instrument well or you are fond of your instrument. Being a musician also means that you can understand, perform, play and understand music. If you need to be a good artist you also need to show your dedication towards music. You can never be biased towards any particular format of music but on the contrary you need to have a variety of interests. You also need to show your dedication by practicing music not only as a hobby but also as a profession. Here are some tips on excelling as a great performer:

Learn more about Music Theory

You need to have a deep understanding about the music culture. Also you need to devour literature on music so that you have a deep understanding about the subject. Most of the great musicians have an inbuilt ability to perform great music but if you want to make it to the limelight you need to be well versed with the chords and notes of the instrument you play.

Play with other people

Never go solo. Playing in a band will help you realize your faults and imperfections. You will be able to get in sync with the chords that other people are playing and it gives you a feeling of togetherness of music.

Learn more than one instrument

You may be a master of one instrument, but can you play another instrument? The point is not to be proficient in all the instrument just as the saying goes “Jack of all trades is a master of none.” You need to try your hands at other instruments because you get a feel of the music of other instruments which will help you synchronize your music when you jam with your band. But the most important point is that you need to perfect your primary instrument before learning a new one.

Perform

Make sure you perform excessively. Performing is a type of practice. You will hone your skills if you perform with your club. Without performing you will never realize your mistakes and faults. Performing will chip away your imperfections and you will also chase away your stage fright.

Experiment

After learning all there is there to know about your instrument, you should move on and express yourself with your instrument. All great artists have done exceptionally good music because they experimented and achieved what no other ordinary artist could. Never worry about the unforeseen. Experimenting will help you learn new melodies and notes which you can compile to use in your music.